Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992

2 Interpretation

  • (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

    clinician means a person who holds a professional qualification relevant to the assessment, treatment, and care of patients with mental disorder

    court means—

    • (a) a District Court; or

    • (b) as the case may be, the Court Martial of New Zealand established under section 8 of the Court Martial Act 2007 when acting under Part 10 of the Armed Forces Discipline Act 1971

    Deputy Director means the person who for the time being holds the office of Deputy Director of Mental Health pursuant to section 91

    Director means the person who for the time being holds the office of Director of Mental Health pursuant to section 91

    Director of Area Mental Health Services means a person appointed as a Director of the Area Mental Health Services pursuant to section 92

    district inspector means a person appointed pursuant to section 94 to be a district inspector; and includes a person appointed pursuant to that section to be a deputy district inspector

    duly authorised officer means a person who, under section 93, is authorised by the Director of Area Mental Health Services to perform the functions and exercise the powers conferred on duly authorised officers by or under this Act

    first period means the first period of assessment and treatment, which is a period—

    • (a) that begins with the date on which the patient receives a notice under section 11(1); and

    • (b) that ends when 5 clear days have passed after that date

    fit to be released from compulsory status, in relation to a patient, means no longer mentally disordered and fit to be released from the requirement of assessment or treatment under this Act

    hospital—

    • (a) means premises that—

      • (i) are used to provide hospital mental health care in accordance with section 9 of the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001; or

      • (ii) are not yet used, but are intended to be used, to provide hospital mental health care, and are occupied by a person certified under that Act to provide hospital mental health care;—

      but where only parts of any premises are used (or intended to be used) to provide hospital mental health care, means only those parts; and

    • (b) at a time before 1 October 2004, includes premises licensed or deemed to be licensed as a psychiatric hospital pursuant to Part 5 of the Hospitals Act 1957

    hospital mental health care means hospital care (within the meaning of the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001) that is, or consists principally of, mental health services

    medical officer means a medical practitioner, other than the person in charge of a hospital, employed in a service

    medical practitioner means a health practitioner who is, or is deemed to be, registered with the Medical Council of New Zealand continued by section 114(1)(a) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 as a practitioner of the profession of medicine

    mental disorder, in relation to any person, means an abnormal state of mind (whether of a continuous or an intermittent nature), characterised by delusions, or by disorders of mood or perception or volition or cognition, of such a degree that it—

    • (a) poses a serious danger to the health or safety of that person or of others; or

    • (b) seriously diminishes the capacity of that person to take care of himself or herself;—

    and mentally disordered, in relation to any such person, has a corresponding meaning

    Minister means the Minister of Health

    nurse means a health practitioner who is, or is deemed to be, registered with the Nursing Council of New Zealand continued by section 114(1)(a) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 as a practitioner of the profession of nursing whose scope of practice permits the performance of general nursing functions

    official visitor means a person appointed pursuant to section 94 to be an official visitor

    patient means a person who is—

    • (b) subject to a compulsory treatment order made under Part 2; or

    • (c) a special patient

    person in charge, in relation to a hospital or service, means the chief executive of the hospital or service

    principal caregiver, in relation to any patient, means the friend of the patient or the member of the patient's family group or whanau who is most evidently and directly concerned with the oversight of the patient's care and welfare

    prison has the same meaning as in section 3(1) of the Corrections Act 2004; and in section 45 of this Act includes a hospital or a Police station while it is deemed by section 36 of the Corrections Act 2004 to be a prison

    proposed patient has the meaning given to that term by section 2A

    psychiatric security institution means a hospital, or part of a hospital, declared under section 100 to be a psychiatric security institution

    psychiatrist means a medical practitioner whose scope of practice includes psychiatry

    psychologist means a health practitioner who is, or is deemed to be, registered with the Psychologists Board continued by section 114(1)(a) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 as a practitioner of the profession of psychology

    Registrar means the Registrar of a District Court

    relative, in relation to any person, includes—

    • (a) a person who is married to, or in a civil union or a de facto relationship with, that person; or

    • (b) a person who is married to, or in a civil union or a de facto relationship with, a person who is connected by blood relationship to that person

    responsible clinician, in relation to a patient, means the clinician in charge of the treatment of that patient

    restricted patient means a patient who is declared to be a restricted patient by the court under section 55

    second period means the second period of assessment and treatment, which is a period—

    • (a) that begins with the date on which the patient receives a notice under section 13(1); and

    • (b) that ends when 14 clear days have passed after that date

    service means a service for the treatment and rehabilitation of persons with mental disorders, being a service—

    • (a) funded by or through a Crown funding agreement within the meaning of section 10(1) of the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000; or

    • (b) a service provided by, or managed by, an institution that was, immediately before the commencement of this Act, a licensed institution under section 9 of the Mental Health Act 1969

    special patient means—

    • (b) a person who is remanded to a hospital under section 23 or section 35 of the Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act 2003; or

    • (c) a person who is liable to be detained in a hospital under section 34(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act 2003, and who has not ceased, under section 48 of this Act, to be a special patient; or

    • (d) a person who is liable to be detained in a hospital, either following an application under section 45(2) or arrangements made under section 46, and who has not ceased, under section 48, to be a special patient; or

    • (da) a person who is liable to be detained in a hospital under section 191(2)(a) of the Armed Forces Discipline Act 1971; or

    • (e) a person who, in accordance with section 136(5)(a) of the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act 2003, must be held as a special patient

    welfare guardian has the same meaning as it has in section 2 of the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988.

    (2) [Repealed]

    Compare: 1969 No 16 s 2; 1972 No 22 s 2; 1982 No 84 s 2(1); 1985 No 22 s 2

    Section 2(1) Board: repealed, on 1 July 1993, by section 32 of the Health Sector (Transfers) Act 1993 (1993 No 23).

    Section 2(1) court: substituted, on 1 July 2009, by section 87 of the Court Martial Act 2007 (2007 No 101).

    Section 2(1) Director of Area Mental Health Services: substituted, on 1 July 1993, by section 32 of the Health Sector (Transfers) Act 1993 (1993 No 23).

    Section 2(1) duly authorised officer: substituted, on 1 July 1993, by section 32 of the Health Sector (Transfers) Act 1993 (1993 No 23).

    Section 2(1) first period: inserted, on 1 April 2000, by section 2(1) of the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Amendment Act 1999 (1999 No 140).

    Section 2(1) hospital: substituted, on 1 October 2002, by section 58(1) of the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001 (2001 No 93).

    Section 2(1) hospital mental health care: inserted, on 1 October 2002, by section 58(1) of the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001 (2001 No 93).

    Section 2(1) medical officer: substituted, on 1 July 1993, by section 32 of the Health Sector (Transfers) Act 1993 (1993 No 23).

    Section 2(1) medical practitioner: substituted, on 18 September 2004, by section 175(1) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (2003 No 48).

    Section 2(1) nurse: inserted, on 18 September 2004, by section 175(1) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (2003 No 48).

    Section 2(1) penal institution: repealed, on 1 June 2005, by section 206 of the Corrections Act 2004 (2004 No 50).

    Section 2(1) person in charge: inserted, on 1 April 2000, by section 2(2) of the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Amendment Act 1999 (1999 No 140).

    Section 2(1) prison: inserted, on 1 June 2005, by section 206 of the Corrections Act 2004 (2004 No 50).

    Section 2(1) proposed patient: inserted, on 1 April 2000, by section 2(3) of the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Amendment Act 1999 (1999 No 140).

    Section 2(1) psychiatrist: substituted, on 18 September 2004, by section 175(1) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (2003 No 48).

    Section 2(1) psychologist: inserted, on 18 September 2004, by section 175(1) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (2003 No 48).

    Section 2(1) relative: inserted, on 26 April 2005, by section 7 of the Relationships (Statutory References) Act 2005 (2005 No 3).

    Section 2(1) second period: inserted, on 1 April 2000, by section 2(4) of the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Amendment Act 1999 (1999 No 140).

    Section 2(1) service: substituted, on 1 July 1993, by section 32 of the Health Sector (Transfers) Act 1993 (1993 No 23).

    Section 2(1) service paragraph (a): substituted, on 1 January 2001, by section 111(1) of the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000 (2000 No 91).

    Section 2(1) special patient: substituted, on 1 September 2004, by section 51 of the Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act 2003 (2003 No 115).

    Section 2(1) special patient paragraph (a)(ii): amended, on 29 June 2009, by section 18 of the Summary Proceedings Amendment Act (No 2) 2008 (2008 No 41).

    Section 2(1) special patient paragraph (da): inserted, on 1 July 2009, by section 81 of the Armed Forces Discipline Amendment Act (No 2) 2007 (2007 No 98).

    Section 2(2): repealed, on 1 April 2000, by section 2(6) of the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Amendment Act 1999 (1999 No 140).